As penalties and fines mounts, Lions' Branch not sweating possibility of a suspension
Allen Park — It's difficult to convey how exceedingly polite Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch can be, but I’ll try.
Approaching his locker for an interview on Tuesday, I poked fun at the mounting mess of empty boxes, papers, and fan mail that's been accumulating in front of the stall.
Sheepishly, he tried to blame some of it on locker mate Kerby Joseph before starting to straighten it up, making multiple trips to a nearby trash can as we continued the conversation.
And from the day he arrived in Detroit as a second-round pick out of Alabama in 2023, Branch always starts his interview answers with “sir” or “ma'am.” It’s so formal, it’s almost uncomfortable. His respect for each person he comes in contact with is off the charts, uncommon not just in an NFL locker room, but in any walk of life.
That’s why it’s challenging to marry the idea this is the same guy who leads the NFL in fines this season — four for violent acts the league has been trying to legislate out of the game and another for giving the double bird to 78,330 in the Lambeau Field stands after he was ejected for a hit on a defenseless receiver.
Needless to say, Dr. Jekyll was embarrassed by the actions of Mr. Hyde for that gesture.
“I apologize to everyone that seen that,” Branch said later that week. “That won’t happen again.”